When did the environmental justice movement began to emerge as a problem in the US?

The environmental justice movement in the U.S. began to gain prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s, particularly highlighted by the 1982 protests in Warren County, North Carolina, against the siting of a hazardous waste landfill. This activism brought attention to the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on marginalized communities. In 1991, the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit further solidified the movement, emphasizing the need for equitable treatment and involvement in environmental policymaking.